The government has asked homes and businesses to conserve as much electricity as they can during the upcoming winter months to deal with a reduction in expected supply, but they are not being asked to cut their usage by a fixed percentage.

“As was the case this summer, we have not set a numerical target for energy consumption over the winter months, but would like to ask the entire country to cooperate in conserving energy within a reasonable range,” economy minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said at a news briefing Tuesday.

To help accomplish that, Nishimura suggested a number of basic electricity saving measures, including lowering the heating, turning off lights in unused rooms and wearing more clothing while indoors.

The request to conserve electricity during the winter period is the first in seven years.

The electricity conservation request will be in effect from Dec. 1 through March 31. The electricity reserve ratio, which indicates surplus capacity, is expected to remain at or above the minimum required level of 3% overall, Nishimura said.

This forecast assumes that the rate will be lower in January and February. In the former, when the supply-demand balance is at its lowest, the ratio is expected to be 4.1% in areas of the country serviced by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco) and its Tohoku equivalent, and 5.6% in the service areas of the utilities for Chubu, Hokuriku, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu. Hokkaido and Okinawa are expected to maintain 7.9% and 33.1% respectively.

The need for energy saving measures over the winter months is due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government says. The war has increased global uncertainty about stable energy supplies, leading to rising international prices for liquefied natural gas, crude oil and other energy sources.

Japan is also aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and reduce greenhouse gases to 46% of 2013 levels by 2030. The Sixth Basic Energy plan, approved by the Cabinet last month, as such calls for energy conservation measures.

The request also comes at a time when Tepco and Shikoku Electric Power Co. are reportedly preparing to raise household electricity rates.

The utilities for Tohoku, Hokuriku and Chugoku have said they may raise their rates from next April or afterward.